Folding chair.



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EMERSON T. MORRIS, OF DERWENT, OHIO.

FOLDING CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 26, 1908.

Application filed June 24, 1907. Serial No. 380,522.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMERSON T. Morons, citizen of the United States, residing at Derwent, in the county of Guernsey and State of Ohio, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Folding Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention provides a chair adapted to be used in public assembly places which are required to be cleared at times to offer unobstructed floor space for any purpose, said chair being of such construction as to admit of its folding into compact form and of sub stantial structure to permit of a certain amount of rough handling and when used as a chair to support the weight of a heavy person to sustain a certain amount of strain incident to shifting and moving of the body from one position to another.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits. thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings.

While the invention may be adapted to difl erent forms and conditions by changes in the structure and minor details without departing from the spirit or essential features thereof, still the preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a chair constructed inaccordance with and embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the chair showing the parts folded. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modification, the back being arranged to move towards and from the seat.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The frame of the chair embodies four legs 1, 2, 3 and 4. The legs 1 and 2 are connected by means of rungs 5 and 6. The legs 1 and 3 and 2 and 4 are connected, respectively, by means of rungs 7, 8 and the seat 9, the latter being mounted upon the upper front rung 5 and the upper rear rung 10. The legs 3 and 4 are connected by means of rungs 10 and 11. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the back stands off from a plane passed through the rear legs 3 and 4, thereby forming a space in which the seat 9 and the upper braces 12 are adapted to fold. It is to be understood that the braces 12 and the several rungs connecting the legs may be of any construction, relative arrangement and attachment with the cooperating parts according to the design, finish and construction of the chair. The seat 9 may also be of any formation. The upper ends of the rear legs 3 and 4 are rearwardly deflected, as indicated at 13, whereas the lower portion of the back 14 has a front extension 15 corresponding approximately to the deflection of the upper ends 13 of the said rear legs.

The braces 12 have pivotal connection at their upper rear ends with the deflected portions 13 by means of fastenings 16, whereas their lower front ends are adapted to engage behind shoulders 17 formed near the front ends of the rungs 7 and upon the upper side thereof. These braces prevent folding of the chair and stiffen the same. Stops 18 and 19 projected from the rear legs engage with the respective rungs 7 and 8, and act in conjunction with the braces 12 to hold the chair when set up for use. The stops 18 and 19 may be of any construction and fix the angles between the rungs 7 and 8 and the rear legs when the chair is unfolded.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3, which is substantially the same as that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the supporting section 20 of the back 14 is made movable so as to come forward when the chair is lowered or unfolded and to move rearward when the chair is folded. Links 21 connect the upper portion of the support 20 with the upper portion of the frame of the back, and other links 22 connect the lower portion of the support with the framework of the chair in a manner to admit of the back supporting section 20 moving rearward when the chair is folded and advancing when the chair is unfolded.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the chair involves a substantial construction and when folded admits of the several parts coming close together in parallel plane so as to provide for compactly stacking a number of chairs when not in use, with the result that space is economized and the chairs, when folded and stacked, free from strain which is injurious and prolific of crippling or disabling chairs of the type commonly constructed to admit of folding.

To fold the chair into the position indi-' cated in Fig. 2 from that illustrated in Fig. 1, it is necessary to first disengage the braces 12 from the stops 17 of the rungs 7, said braces cated in Fig.

being thrown upward into the position indi- 2, after which the legs 1 and 2 and the seat 9- are moved upward, the seat 9 entering the space formed between the back 14 and the plane of the legs 3 and 4, whereas the legs 1 and 2 fold into the plane of the legs 3 and 4, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 2. hen the chair is unfolded the lower front ends of the braces 12 engage back of the shoulders 17 so as to stiffen the structure, as will be readily comprehended.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A folding chair comprising four legs connected by rungs to form a substantial brace, the side rungs having pivotal connection at their ends with, respectively, the front and rear legs, a seat arranged intermediate of the upper and lower ends of the legs and having pivotal connection therewith, the upper end portions of the rear legs being deflected rearwardly, a back having connection with the rear ends of said deflected portions of the rear legs and having its lower portion formed with a front extension secured to the said rear legs, and braces interposed between the front and rear legs and having detachable connection at one end to admit of the folding of the chair.

2. Afolding chair comprising four legs connected by rungs to form a substantial framework, the side rungs having pivotal connection at their ends with the front and rear legs, a seat located intermediate of the upper and lower ends of the legs and having pivotal connection therewith, a back having a front extension at its lower end and set off from the plane of the rear legs, a supporting section for the back movable towards and from the plane of the rear legs, and connecting means between said movable section of the back and the framework of the chair.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, EMERSON T. MORRIS. [L. s.]

\Vitnesses:

N. K. DEVOR R. P. KING. 

